New RFID Project to Improve Customer Service at WCCLS Libraries

For Immediate Release: Thursday, December 29, 2011

Washington County, Oregon: During the first week of 2012 the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) will begin converting the Cooperative's 1.6 million item collection to a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tagging system. According to WCCLS Director, Eva Calcagno, "the ultimate goals of the RFID project are to improve customer service, productivity, and security by deploying RFID tags and equipment to all WCCLS member libraries over the next six to eight months".

The RFID project will enable WCCLS to upgrade old security gates or install new gates where needed at every library, upgrade staff workstations to be RFID enabled, upgrade or replace current self-service checkout machines, and purchase and place RFID tags on 1.6 million library items. The project is funded from accumulated savings and dedicated technology reserves.

Many may wonder what the difference is between an RFID tagged item and the barcode system that is presently in use at WCCLS member libraries. The RFID tag is basically a memory chip with a receiver and a transmitter. The process uses radio waves to remotely read inventory control tags. The tags include an on/off security bit for check-in/out, which replaces the metallic electro-magnetic security strips presently in use. The tags inventory numbers are read with a radio antenna rather than a laser scanner allowing multiple items to be read at one time.

Calcagno explained, "Everyday WCCLS member libraries handle about 50,000 checkouts and returns (not counting renewals). Each of those items is handled by staff four to ten times depending upon the type of transaction and whether or not it is to be shipped to another library location. RFID allows staff to handle multiple items at one time instead of individually scanning each barcode, it eliminates the need to turn on or off the electro-magnetic security tags currently used by the larger libraries, and will eliminate the need to open and inspect many CD and DVD cases to determine whether the correct disks are in the correct cases. By eliminating just two steps in the process, the WCCLS libraries will save over 36 million repetitive motions a year."  Similarly, patrons will be able to quickly checkout multiple items at one time simply by placing them on the self-service scanners.

RFID tagging offers a tremendous savings for member libraries by increasing staff efficiency, as well as helping to get borrowed items back and into the hands of waiting patrons much faster. It will also enable staff to conduct regular inventories of collections, something that is cost-prohibitive with the current barcode tagging system.

The RFID tags will contain no personal information. The RFID tags will be encoded with the barcode ID number and only staff with the library system's database access may search by barcode numbers in the WCCLS collection. Libraries will continue to place barcodes on all materials so there is an eye-readable way to identify each item. WCCLS patron cards will continue to use only visible barcodes; they will not be replaced with RFID library cards.

The first week of January 2012 a team of ten temporary workers will begin the RFID tagging of approximately 95,000 items at the Hillsboro Library Shute Park branch. Once this initial phase is complete the team will move on to the Hillsboro Main Library, and then over the course of the next six to seven months all 15 of the WCCLS member libraries will be converted to the RFID system. Installation of security gates and other equipment upgrades will happen gradually as each library conversion is completed.

To learn more about the WCCLS RFID project visit: www.wccls.org/RFID

The Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS), includes the: Banks Public Library, Beaverton City Library, Beaverton City Library @ Murray Scholls, Cedar Mill Community Library, Cedar Mill Community Library @ Bethany, Cornelius Public Library, Forest Grove City Library, Garden Home Community Library, Hillsboro Public Libraries (Main and Shute Park), North Plains Public Library, Sherwood Public Library, Tigard Public Library, Tualatin Public Library, and West Slope Community Library.

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